Dubuque, IA- With a hard fought victory over Emmaus Bible College on Saturday, the Mount Mary Basketball team did not solely claim their first win of the season. They snapped an overall 23 game losing streak for the program, and claimed the first road victory for MMU basketball in over three calendar years.
The road victory was the first since a win at Illinois Tech on November 16th, 2019. Thus the victory at Emmaus ended a streak of 20 straight road losses for MMU.
The acocmplishment would not come easy on the day for the Blue Angels. As has been their trend, the MMU squad defended well throughout the game, inconsistent shooting kept the game close as the Blue Angels took a 24-20 lead into half time.
Mount Mary increased their pressure on defense which forced 28 Emmaus turnovers and more scoring chances for MMU. The Blue Angels stretched their lead to as much as 11, but the Eagles of Emmaus hung tough. Clutch 4th quarter shots and timely stops were the order of the day for MMU as they wrapped up the win by a final score of 64-54.
In addition to the 28 forced turnovers, the Blue Angels only sent Emmaus to the line twice on the day. Mount Mary continued their improved movement and handling of the ball as they committed only 10 turnovers on the day.
Mount Mary once again was paced in scoring by Skye Giddings and Deja Rivers. In addition to her 25 points, Giddings had 7 rebounds, 5 steals and 3 assists. Deja Rivers continued her strong week of play, with 23 points and 8 rebounds. Talesa Campbell contributed nine points and seven rebounds, and her biggest contribution may have been her four steals. A clutch steal at the end of the 3rd quarter by Campbell gave Mount Mary a key basket and momentum heading into the final period. India Lucas also stuffed the stat sheet, with 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 assists.
With losing streaks and the weight of seeking the season's first victory off of their shoulders, Mount Mary (1-4), will play two games before breaking for the Thanksgiving Holiday. The first will be Monday evening, November 21st, at the Bloechl Center as the Blue Angels seek their second win of the season against Alverno College. It promises to be a special night as both teams and Institutions will honor the late Marc Heidorf, in the What made you smile today Kid Classic. Heidorf, a former Alverno assistant, and Mount Mary head coach and Director of Athletics, passed away in the summer of 2022. He will be honored by both teams through the contest on Monday evening. The game will tip at 7 pm and all coverage can be found here on www.mtmaryathletics.com
